More than 150 suspected illegal miners were arrested on Tuesday after Gauteng police, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and Sibanye Protection Services launched a large-scale operation at the Losberg section of the Kloof Mine near Westonaria.
The multi-agency operation, known as Operation Prosper, forms part of an ongoing national campaign to dismantle illegal mining syndicates and transnational criminal networks operating across South Africa's mining regions.
Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed the arrests, saying the operation was aimed at combating illegal mining and organised crime in the area.
"More than 150 suspects have been arrested for illegal mining-related offences," she said, adding that the operation was still under way at the time of publication and the crime scene remained active.
The Kloof Mine, located on the West Wits Line of the Witwatersrand Basin between Westonaria and Randfontein, is one of Sibanye-Stillwater's major gold mining operations. The participation of Sibanye Protection Services highlights the continued collaboration between mining companies and law enforcement agencies to remove illegal miners from active and abandoned shafts.
